Loin at 85 degrees: Saddle of lamb

Premium retail cut — colour should be light pink-red, not brown at the edges. The T-bone region of the sheep: a tender eye with a smaller fillet underneath. Chops grill in minutes; a saddle (paired loins) roasts as a centrepiece. Leaner than the rack, so it needs attentive timing.

Chops overcook in the blink of an eye — sear hard and rest off the heat. Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Saddle of lamb.” Use 85 degrees and 85 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat.

At the counter, read the use on Loin before the photograph. 85 degrees is the internal heat, “Saddle of lamb” is the dish, and 85 is the stage of the fire. Marbling alone does not split stew from grill. A little fat along the edge should stay on; fully trimmed loin chops dry out.